Victorian Prose and Poetry (Oxford Anthology of English Literature)

Rating:
Summary: Good anthology for Victorian period in poetry
Review: Selections from Tennyson, Brown, and others. Introductions to each section and writer.

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Summary: narrow and outdated coverage of the period
Review: This anthology appears to have been transported in a time machine from the 1950s. It is narrow both in its range of authors and subject matter and completely out of step with recent Victorian studies. Students gaining their knowledge of the Victorian period from this anthology would not only have a distorted view of the period, but would also find themselves inadequately prepared for graduate study. See the review of this anthology on the Victorian web.

Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive Collection
Review: Victorian literature is vast, for the era it covers was long and complex. This collection of Victorian prose and poetry distinguishes itself with its range. Features a fine bibliography and is well indexed. Also recommended: the companion book, Victorian Literature: Modern Essays in Criticism, edited by Austin Wright, a Galaxy book GB 52. (Try zshops.) Victorian literature received careful and respectful study in the Twenties and Thirties. These anthologies show the fruit of that labor. Highly recommended.